A Time For Truth
by aunteeneenah
Summary: What would have happened if someone else, other than Lester, had found Connor living in the break room.


A/N: This is a birthday fic for my friend anniemouse who loves Conby. She's a lovely lady and has had a rough time of it lately. Beta by the wonderful fififolle. I've messed with it a bit since the beta so any mistakes are my own. What if Abby had been the one to find Connor living in the ARC?

You all know this has been posted before. But when I posted it, I posted the wrong one. I posted the one that had a crapload of errors in it so I've reposted the edited version. I only do this because the other one embarrassed me to pieces. Unfortunately, by doing this, I lost the 4 lovely reviews I had. Sorry.

If one were to say there was steam coming out of the ears of Abby Maitland, they woudn't have been far wrong. She was so angry her sapphire eyes were flashing and the lab techs who crossed her path quickly moved out of it.

She stopped by Sarah's lab. "Where's Connor!" she snapped. "Have you seen what he did to my lab!? He destroyed it and all my specimens… ruined!"

Sarah looked at her friend in amazement. "Haven't you heard?"

"Heard what!" Abby's impatience showed in her shortness.

Sarah straightened to her full height. "Your lab was destroyed by the fungus creature and Connor almost died figuring out how to stop him!"

Abby stopped in her tracks. "What are you talking about? Connor is fine."

"No, Abby," Sarah's voice softened, "Connor is most assuredly not fine. Jenny wasn't the only one who froze today. How did you think he figured out that freezing the creature would kill it? He certainly didn't have time to run computer scenerios."

"I guess I didn't think about it. I just thought he'd … come up with it." Abby looked shaken. "Why didn't he say anything?"

"I don't suppose he thought you'd be interested. After all, you scampered out of here quickly enough."

"I had something I had to see to and besides, Connor's staying with a mate for a few days."

"A mate? What mate. I should think you of all people would have realized how difficult it is for us to keep up our outside interests. This job has taken over our lives and I know for me, I've found that I've had to let some friends just fall away. I guess what I'm saying is, what mate has Connor got who wouldn't figure out that Sid and Nancy aren't your basic house-pets."

"Well, he said he was staying at a mate's place."

Sarah moved back into her lab. "You'd better ask him then because I don't think he's being entirely truthful with you."

Abby moved down the corridor looking into each room but didn't find Connor until she came to the staff break room. What she saw made her take a step back. Connor was standing with his back to her, making a cup of tea. She looked around the room and saw that he had boxers hanging on the coat rack. As she looked more closely, she was surprised to see a pet carrier with Sid and Nancy in it, a duffle bag that she recognized as a hold for Connor's belongings, and several other items of clothing scattered about the room.

"Connor," she asked softly, "are you staying here?"

Connor jumped, dropping his cup to the floor, smashing it. "Abby!" What are you doin' here?"

"Looking for you, Connor." Abby moved into the room. "What's all this? You told me you were staying with a mate, and why didn't you tell me about what happened to you in my lab?"

Connor stared at Abby with wide eyes, his hands out as if in supplication. "Oh, Abby, your lab. I am so sorry about that. I'll help you clean it up. I know I can't replace your specimens…"

Abby put her fingers on his lips. "Connor, stop talking. My lab isn't important. What happened to you, is."

Connor started and stepped back, at once closed off. "Oh, I'm fine. Just got a bit chilled, didn't I? Nothing a nice cup of tea won't cure." He tried to smile but Abby noticed that it didn't quite meet his eyes. She also saw how flushed he was and the slight shivers that seemed to run through his body, and he just wasn't moving right. He was stiff, as if it hurt to move.

"Connor, have you been checked out by Ditzy?" Abby asked, moving toward him and gently touching his arm.

"Um, no, haven't really had time." Connor backed away from her and began waving his hands about. "Had a fungus creature to kill and needed to bring Jenny back to life so been a bit busy. I'll see Ditzy later. Anyway, I'm fine."

"No, Connor, you're not fine. Look at you, your hands are shaking, you're flushed and I'd be willing to bet you're running a temp so come on, we're going to see Ditzy and then you'll explain why you lied to me about staying with a mate." Abby had hold of Connor's hand and was gently pulling him from the room.

"Abby, " Connor stopped her. "What?" she asked impatiently. "May I put on my trousers first?"

Abby laughed, "Go on, then."

After Connor got dressed , they walked together to the infirmary where Ditzy saw them and smiled. "I wondered when you'd get here. Thought I was going to have to come looking for you. I heard about your stunt, you know, and you do need to get checked out."

"I'm fine. Why won't anyone believe me?" Connor grumbled. "I'm not a child, you know."

"Then don't act like one," Abby interrupted him as she was leaving the room.

Ditzy simply smiled. "Come on, Connor, you know you can't win here so you may as well give in with good grace."

Connor mumbled about people minding their own business but he did climb up on the examination table, although Ditzy noted that he moved slowly.

Ditzy did a thorough examination, making notes in Connor's file which Connor must have noticed were thicker than anyone else's and that included Blade and all his knives.

When he was finished, Ditzy called Abby back into the room. "Okay, Connor, your temperature is up, your joints are stiff from the extreme cold, and basically, you're chilled to the bone. You need a warm shower, a warm bed, a nice cuppa, something that I'll give you to bring down your temp, and rest. Abby, you'll take care of him, yeah?"

Connor started to speak but was interrupted by Abby, "Don't worry, Ditzy, I'll take good care of our patient."

Ditzy nodded and left the room.

Moving from the bed, Connor tried to smile. "Abby, I appreciate that you're willing to help me out but …" Connor trailed off and they left the room together.

Abby walked beside Connor down the corridor. "Conn, you weren't honest with me. Why didn't you tell me you had nowhere to go?"

Connor raised unhappy eyes to Abby. "You were so happy to have your brother there and I didn't want to spoil that for you. I'm sorry."

"No, Connor. I'm sorry. I just didn't think. None of us has mates outside of the ARC anymore. We've become each other's best mates and I forgot that in the excitement of my brother showing up, but don't you worry, I'll get it sorted and you'll be back home tonight."

"Thanks, Abby, but for right now, I'm not feeling quite right and I think I'd better sit down before I fall down." Abby was too late to catch him as he fell to the floor, unconscious.

Abby dropped to her knees beside him. "Connor!" she called, touching his face. She pulled her hand back quickly. He was burning up.

"Ditzy! Someone! Help! I need a medic here!" Abby shouted.

When Connor woke, he was lying on a bed in the medbay… he recognized the ceiling… with a line running from the back of his hand up to a bag hanging on a pole next to his bed.

"Hey, you. About time you woke up." He looked to the right to see Abby seated on a chair next to his bed.

"What happened?" he asked, feeling confused. "The last thing I remember, I was making myself a cup of tea, um, before I went to my mate's place for the night."

Abby smiled at him. "You can drop the act, Connor. I know you were staying in the break room here at work."

Ditzy came into the room. "Connor, good. You're awake. It seems a nasty little infection was sneaking about in your blood stream. We hadn't run any blood work because it didn't seem necessary…" Ditzy trailed off as Lester entered the room.

"A lapse in judgment that won't be repeated because from now on, I don't care if someone comes in here with a bloody splinter, I want blood work done." Lester favored each of them with his patented glare and turned to Connor. "May I ask, Mr. Temple, why you were living in the staff break room with your pets?"

Abby stepped in. "It was a misunderstanding. He'll be back home as soon as Ditzy says he can leave."

Lester sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't even want to begin to list the Health and Safety regulations that were broken by your actions, Mr. Temple, and I really don't want to know about your living arrangements, I just want to be assured that this will not happen again."

Abby and Connor both rushed to respond. "Nope, won't happen again."

"See to it." With one last glare at all the occupants of the room, Lester left.

After Lester left, Abby asked Ditzy, "What caused the infection and how could his temperature have spiked so quickly?"

Ditzy rubbed his face. "Connor's blood work showed an unknown virus that we think came from one of the plants in your lab and if you remember, they bloomed very quickly so they obviously have a much faster metabolism which made the virus grow in Connor's blood very quickly. Fortunately, a heavy dose of aciclovir seems to be working but I'd really feel better if you stayed another night, Connor. We don't want to mess about with this."

Connor felt a flash of fear. "It's not the fungus creature, is it? I really don't want to turn into a giant mushroom."

Ditzy smiled. "No, we've analyzed the spores from the fungus and it's not the same so you're not in any danger of becoming a mushroom."

Connor smiled. "Well, that's a relief. I rather like me the way I am, not interested in becoming a side dish."

Abby hit him.

"Ow! Why'd you hit me, Abby?" He looked at his friend and saw tears in her eyes. "Abby?"

"You scared the hell out of me, Connor! I thought that's what was happening to you. I saw what Sir Richard turned into and he was feverish as well, and…" She hit Connor again.

"Ow! Abby, I'm gonna be fine, except for the bruises you're giving me, isn't that right, Ditzy?"

"Yes, Abby," Ditzy's voice was soothing, "he's going to be fine. You can take him home tomorrow."

Abby sniffled but was mollified. "Okay. I'd better get home then and get things sorted out." She leaned over and gave Connor a quick kiss on the forehead. "I'll be back a little later to see you, all right?"

At home, Abby had a flaming row with her brother who couldn't understand why he had to be inconvenienced by a friend of Abby's. "After all, I am your brother. Your only family. If you throw me out, where will I go?"

Abby, hands on hips, snapped back, "Oh, for Pete's sake, Jack, all I'm asking you to do is sleep on the sofa for a few nights so Connor can have his room back."

"Well, why can't Connor sleep on the sofa! I don't see why I should have to be uncomfortable," Jack whined.

"My God! Have you always been this whiney? I'm not tossing you into the street. I'm only asking you to be a nice guy for a friend."

"Hey! He's no friend of mine. Why should I care?"

Abby stood there with her mouth hanging open. Had she been blind? Had her brother always been this selfish?

"You know, " Jack wheedled, "you could just give me money for a hotel room and I could stay there."

"I don't have that kind of money," Abby shot back.

Jack shouted at Abby. "Then I guess he's gonna have to sleep on the sofa because I'm staying put. If he's so important, give him your room," and he stormed out.

Abby was speechless at her brother's lack of compassion but he had given her something to think about. Just how important was Connor to her? Remembering him falling to the floor and then lying in the bed so flushed and ill, and how frightened she'd been, she began to cry.

When Abby returned to the ARC medical bay, she was surprised to hear laughter from Connor's room. She walked in and found Connor and Sarah laughing together about something and she felt a sharp jab to her heart and a rush of fury course through her body making her snap, "Sarah! Connor is supposed to be resting. He's not supposed to be bothered by visitors!"

Connor and Sarah both looked at Abby with mouths hanging open, however, Sarah, with an understanding look in her eyes, spoke first. "Abby, I was just giving Connor an update on the work we're doing on the artifact and we started making jokes about the different things it could have been used for."

"Well, he shouldn't be bothered with work right now." Abby couldn't understand her anger. Sarah was her friend and she was treating her like… like… a rival. "I'm sorry, Sarah. Just a bit overwhelmed at the moment with everything that's happened."

Sarah stood up and gave Abby a quick hug. "Oh, I understand."

Abby backed away and gave Sarah a searching look and thought perhaps her friend understood better than she did herself.

Sarah gave Abby another quick hug and also gave Connor a hug and excused herself.

Once again, there was that spark of anger. What the hell was going on with her? Abby thought to herself, "Get a grip, girl. It's not like Sarah's trying to steal your boyfriend…" What? Boyfriend? Where had that come from?

"Abby," Connor asked, bringing her back to the present, "is everything all right?"

Abby sat herself beside his bed and smiled. "Yeah, everything is fine."

Connor looked at her more closely and, raising his hand, traced the tear trails on her check with his thumb. Abby caught herself leaning into his touch.

"Abby, you've been crying. Why?" He asked so gently Abby felt tears welling up once again and she found herself telling him the whole sorry story of Jack being a selfish tosser.

Connor was sympathetic. "Abby, you don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself. I am a grown man, contrary to popular opinion." He was trying to make her smile and was pleased when it worked.

Abby's smile was slightly tearful but she managed to respond. "No, Connor. You need someone to take care of you and that's going to be me."

Connor continued to stroke her face and asked, "Why, Abby? Why do you feel it's your responsibility?"

Abby had closed her eyes and was again leaning into his touch and without thinking answered, "Because I love you, of course."

At her words, Abby's eyes snapped open and they both became very still but Connor's hand stayed where it was and they stared into each other's eyes and then began to move slowly until their lips were only a breath apart. Connor made the move and gently kissed her and when she didn't pull away, he deepened the kiss, licking gently over her lips, asking. Abby opened her lips and allowed Connor in. He moved his other hand up to the other side of her face, as Abby traced over his hands and down his arms stopping at his waist. They were so wrapped up in each other, they didn't hear the door open.

"Ahem."

They both snapped up to see Lester standing there with Ditzy.

Abby could have sworn she saw a smile playing about Lester's lips but he said in his customary snarky way, "Oh, by all means, don't let me interrupt. After all, running a lonely hearts service is just one of my many talents. It would seem that Mr. Temple is on the mend so I would suggest you take this display elsewhere."

Ditzy grinned outright. "You heard the man, you're good to go, Connor."

Abby smiled. "You heard the man, Connor. Let's go home."

"But your brother…" Connor said.

"Not a problem," Abby smiled sweetly as she kissed him again, "you'll be sleeping in my room."

The end


End file.
